The problem of how often Diclofenac can be injected is faced by everyone who is prescribed this drug. It belongs to the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that can act on an enzyme that is considered key in the human body during the conversion of arachidonic acid. Diclofenac injections are able to inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins due to the fact that they have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic effects on the body. This drug is famous for the fact that it is able to quickly remove the symptoms of inflammation, as well as severe pain. But at the same time, one must always remember that he is not able to eliminate the cause of the disease, so that his appointment is justified only within the framework of complex therapy. It’s fashionable to learn about all this and much more from the article.
Composition and form of release
Before you figure out how often you can inject Diclofenac, let’s dwell on its composition and form of release. This medicine is available not only in the form of injections, but also in tablets and in the form of an ointment. It has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. Often it is prescribed for rheumatological and neurological diseases.
One ampoule of this drug contains 25 or 75 mg of diclofenac sodium dissolved in water or alcohol for injection. With the introduction of this tool intramuscularly requires one or three milliliters of content.
It is worth noting that in addition to Diclofenac, rectal suppositories, tablets, gels and ointments based on this substance are also used in injection ampoules.
Instructions for use
Of course, before using this medication, you should carefully read its instructions. It should be noted that using it alone is still very dangerous, since there is a risk of ulcers, intolerance, especially in the framework of gastropathy, which is associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
In addition to sodium salt, each ampoule contains water for injection and benzyl alcohol, which in this case are solvents. In this case, auxiliary compounds are practically not used in this case.
Compared with other drugs from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Diclofenac is the golden mean in the effect that it has on the pain syndrome and inflammation, as well as cardiotoxic and ulcerogenic effects. Many other similar drugs (for example, Aertal, Ibuprofen) also have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect, but at the same time they have a strong negative effect on the gastric mucosa. Because of this, there is a likelihood of ulceration, and in some cases, the therapeutic effect may be completely absent.
Indications for use
"Diclofenac" has a wide variety of medicinal properties, therefore it can be used for a large number of joint diseases, as well as neurological problems. In addition, this medicine relieves pain well and quickly, can reduce swelling, swelling of the attachment points of the ligaments to the bones, the ligaments and joints themselves.
There are a number of acute situations in which the use of Diclofenac is considered not only justified, but also necessary:
- An attack of gouty arthritis. With this ailment, Colchicine is used abroad, but it is not produced in Russia. Therefore, in our country, “Diclofenac” remains the most effective drug for the relief of pain from gout.
- Exacerbations in osteochondrosis of the spine.
- Physical damage to muscles, ligaments and tendons.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Rheumatoid lesions of the feet and joints of the hand.
- Spondylopathy, that is, damage to the joints of the spine. The same disease includes seronegative spondylitis in ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic lesions, reactive arthritis of the gastrointestinal tract, which may be accompanied by infections of the genitourinary system.
- Deforming osteoarthrosis. In this case, Diclofenac not only relieves pain, but also prevents the destruction of bone and cartilage, eliminating synovitis.
- Polymyalgia.
It is worth noting that in addition to acute situations, chronic processes can also be treated with this medicine. However, taking this drug for a long time is unsafe. It should be limited to a course not exceeding seven to ten days, or use as a cover proton pump inhibitors - Omeprazole, Ultop.
Contraindications
In order not to encounter unpleasant consequences, you need to clearly know what contraindications are possible when taking this medication. The greatest danger is bleeding from the duodenum 12 or stomach ulcer. In this regard, most of all patients should be wary of this drug, suffering from diseases of the stomach - ulcers, gastritis and others.
In addition, additional consultation with the doctor is required in the presence of the following diseases or characteristic conditions:
- pathology of the duodenum and stomach;
- aspirin asthma;
- lactation;
- pregnancy;
- patient age up to thirteen years;
- colitis;
- changes in the pattern of red blood.
Dosage
When using this medicine, you need to understand its dosages well, to know how often you can inject Diclofenac. At the very beginning of treatment, one dose corresponds to 75 mg. Understanding how often you can inject Diclofenac for pain, we note that one ampoule should be enough for the very first administration of the drug intramuscularly. If a more noticeable effect of the therapy is required, the dosage is increased. In this case, the maximum daily dose should not exceed 150 mg. Here's the answer to the question of how often you can inject Diclofenac for pain. The number of injections per day should not exceed two times. This is the contents of three ampoules of the drug.
It is important to understand that in this article are only approximate and averaged data. The final dosage, as well as how often Diclofenac can be injected intramuscularly, should be determined only by the attending physician based on the diagnosis, history and condition of the patient. These values can be individual, depending on each specific case. The main danger is that with a significant excess of the dose of the drug against a background of a certain predisposition, gastropathy is inevitable. Especially this should be feared by patients with erosive and ulcerative lesions, as well as gastritis. So decide in advance with your doctor how much you can inject Diclofenac.
As a rule, for a full treatment, the patient requires a certain course. In this case, it is established how often you can inject Diclofenac injections. As a rule, the duration of the course is from five to seven days. Here's how often you can inject Diclofenac. The main thing after this is not to stop treatment, but to switch to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of tablets. In this case, the general course of treatment will be from two to three weeks.
Now you know how often you can inject Diclofenac intramuscularly in order to have a positive effect on the body and prevent overdoses.
How to do injections
The very first use of the drug to achieve maximum effect should be in the form of an intramuscular injection. Having figured out how often to inject Diclofenac for pain, it is important to understand how to do this correctly in order to achieve maximum results.
An injection is necessarily done in the muscle. In this case, the correct place is pre-selected. As a rule, this is the gluteal region, ideally stopping at the upper lateral square.
In how to correctly inject Diclofenac, the syringe you have chosen is of great importance. It should have a long needle and be 5 milliliters. Using a smaller syringe or a needle that is too short can cause the drug to enter the subcutaneous tissue, rather than the muscle, as required. In this case, a hematoma can form, and with adverse events, necrosis.
It is important to know how to inject Diclofenac injections so that there are no unpleasant complications. In addition to hematoma and necrosis, it can also be infection. To this end, injections are placed every day in different buttocks. After injections, it is important to use a course of appropriate tablets, for example, drink Diklo-F.
Adverse reactions
Understanding how often to inject Diclofenac injections is also required in order to minimize the likelihood of possible adverse reactions. The danger of allergies increases with an increase in the dose of the drug. The more often you stab it, the higher the likelihood of unwanted manifestations. It is noteworthy that they can appear from almost any system of human organs. Therefore, always remember how many injections of Diclofenac injections, do not exceed the established limits.
If this still happened, then, first of all, the gastrointestinal tract suffers. This is due to a violation of the enzymes cyclosigenase-1 and cyclosigenase-2, which are responsible for inflammation and are the protection of the stomach from acid aggression, respectively. When using intramuscular injections, the protection of the gastric mucosa is reduced, especially against the background of chronic pathology of the duodenum or stomach. The amount of parietal bicarbonate is also reduced.
If you do not know how often to inject Diclofenac, an erosive defect may begin. It manifests itself in the form of a shallow destruction of the mucous membrane, which can reach the muscle layer. The next stage is likely to develop an ulcer, and in some cases, complications in the form of malignancy, bleeding, stenosis.
Other side effects from the stomach when taking Diclofenac are lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, bloating, and pain.
Negative side effects are also manifested in the central nervous system. Of course, they are considered non-specific. Moreover, they may occur if you do not follow the recommendations on how to prick "Diclofenac", or exceed the allowable dosage.
In these cases, there is a likelihood of developing vestibulopathy, migraine, dissomnia, asthenia, meningitis, neurosis, or other neurosis-like conditions.
In addition, like any other drug, Diclofenac is able to provoke allergic reactions. This can be a bronchospasm, manifested in the form of suffocation, or a classic skin rash.
When injecting this drug, the following skin manifestations are possible:
- intolerance to sunlight;
- redness of the skin;
- allergic eczema;
- dermatitis;
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome, which develops in newborns.
It is also worth remembering that the picture of blood can change. For example, anemic syndrome manifests itself, which is characterized by a significant decrease in hemoglobin levels. There is also a chance of encountering suppression of blood-forming germs, which is fraught with the development of leukocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia.
As another type of complication, infiltration in the thigh or buttocks can develop, in some cases an abscess in the same areas. Typically, such problems arise if the injection technique is not followed.
Overdose
If the daily or single dosage is exceeded, there is a likelihood of negative consequences. These can be disorders in the central nervous system, in particular vestibulopathy or headache.
The digestive system may be affected. Classical manifestations are pain in the stomach or abdomen, vomiting, bleeding. There may be renal syndromes in the form of nephrotic and necrotic syndromes, urinary syndrome, renal failure.
The first signs of an overdose are vomiting and nausea. Weakness may be a harbinger of a duodenal ulcer or stomach.
To treat an overdose, immediately discontinue the drug and rinse the patient's stomach. If the patient has convulsions, he should be given anticonvulsants. In case of gastric damage, proton pump inhibitors are prescribed intravenously, for example, Lansoprazole, Nexium, Zulbeks.
Pregnancy Use
During pregnancy and feeding the baby you need to be aware that Diclofenac is a teratogenic agent for the newborn. In this regard, the use of this drug in ampoules is contraindicated.
It is dangerous to take gels, ointments and tablets, as they also penetrate the systemic circulation, overcoming the placental barrier. Therefore, they, like injections, should not be used by pregnant women.
Interaction with other drugs
"Diclofenac" can be combined without consequences with other drugs, but for this you need to know how they will interact with each other. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs increase the concentration of certain drugs in biological fluids. In this case, their dose must be reduced in order to exclude toxic effects.
Among these drugs, it is worth highlighting:
- antidepressants, for example lithium preparations;
- cardiac glycosides - Digoxin, Strofantin;
- potassium-sparing diuretics - “Veroshpiron”, “Spironolactone”, “Inspra” (with an increase in their dose, there is a danger of hyperkali, which can cause asystole, that is, cardiac arrest);
- other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that can provoke the development of side effects.
There are other groups of drugs, when used with Diclofenac, their concentration, on the contrary, decreases. Therefore, their dosage must be increased. These are antihypertensive drugs, as well as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. Examples include Zofenopril, Captopril, Thrandolapril, Enalapril.
To summarize, we can say that Diclofenac is a very effective pain reliever. Its action occurs within half an hour. At the same time, the drug has many contraindications, so it should be taken with caution.